His fraud began to unravel when, in June 2018, the real residents of Flat 42 went to the Portobello Trust to collect electronic devices that had been donated.

The woman was told a man had already been to collect a laptop, but his name wasn't given.

Later that same week, she went to the Westway Assistance Centre to receive funds from Kensington and Chelsea Council as an emergency payment, but once again she was told that £500 had already been collected by a man.

She insisted that the council make a record that Gouveia was clearly an imposter as he had never stayed at Flat 42.

He was sentenced on September 6 at Isleworth Crown Court (Image: TMS)

Metropolitan Police were alerted to the fraud and he was arrested on August 2 and taken to Charing Cross Police Station.

Gouveia, 33, told police had been homeless at the time and was sleeping in nearby Holland Park when the fire broke out. He told police in an interview that a homeless friend he had made, who was in the UK illegally, had told him to register at the Red Cross.

He had told them that he was living in Flat 42 with a woman for four of five months before the fire, but when the real residents were asked, the woman, her partner and her daughter all confirmed that nobody else had lived there in the last 20 years.

There, police officers asked him where he was at the time the fire started, he said he had been at a mosque near the tower, but mobile phone records showed he had actually been in Southwark at the time.

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He also admitted to signing a housing application for declaring that he lived at flat 42 Grenfell Tower, but could not give police a reason for his fraudulent actions.

After being challenged by the officers, he admitted the story about a friend telling him to register with the Red Cross was actually a lie, and that his actions were driven by his homelessness.

He said he had seen news reports of the disaster and gone to the Westway centre on June 16 to see if he could pick up something for himself, when a volunteer who assumed he had been a survivor.

He also saw several people handing out flyers for where to go to get help, including the Al Manaar Mosque, which also coordinated help for victims of the fire.

Westway Sports and Fitness was a rest centre for residents

He was able to hone his fraud when he went to a postal depot to ask for any post in his name. There he saw post for the actual residents of Flat 42 and upon learning their name, used it to provide more accurate details when asked.

He was charged with fraud by false representation on August 3 and pleaded guilty the same day at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

He appeared at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday (September 6) for sentencing, where victim impact statements were read from real victims of the fire.

The statements described their shock at discovering someone would disregard the loss of life for financial gain and the corrosive impact they feared such frauds would have on public trust.

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Antonio Gouveia, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to three years and two month's imprisonment at the court.

Jonathan Storer, of the CPS, said: “Antonio Gouveia researched the occupants of the Grenfell Tower to find a name he could use to gain access to aid.

"This prosecution was also able to show how his greed even led him to rush to claim a laptop earmarked for a genuine survivor.

“Grenfell survivors and people who have been moved to donate by such a terrible tragedy expect these charitable donations to reach real victims and when someone lies to access that money it is only right they are held accountable.”

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Detective Superintendent, Matt Bonner, senior investigating officer for Operation Northleigh, said: “I have previously described the actions of those who exploited the tragedy for their own personal gain as truly appalling.

“Not only have their actions exploited the aid and support intended for those most affected, but they also risk misrepresenting the Grenfell community as they continue to try and come to terms with their grief.

“Antonio Gouveia created an elaborate rouse for his own self gain and exploited the generosity of the public and the local council.

"My thoughts remain with the Grenfell community at this difficult time, the genuine victims who should continue to be at the heart and centre of all we do."